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Do you use alternative sources of energy? Whether it's LPG or you've installed solar panels with the intent to sell back energy, we'd like to tap energy saving MoneySavers' wealth of knowledge for your top tips on making alternative energy sources work for you. How do you maximise savings and cut costs?

This manual solar hot water system is so easy to set up, cost about a tenner.

in each sun collector is a large pot filled with tap water each day. Store in large flasks, the sort used for picnics, or use straightaway.
Ideal is the insulated containers as used in labs, the middle one as above, lined with foil, place pot in container, double glazed window from the recycling centre £1 each on top. Incline the whole thing to the sun.
All done, Bobs your uncle.
Edit...not for drinking unless re-boiled and as with roof mounted , must reach 60 degrees.

I have an old style back boiler so what i do is turn it off and turn the hot water off as things like shower,dishwasher,washing machine all heat themselves my bill for gas dec to march was £50! compared to last year dec to march £140 and my last year summer bill was £22 compared to the previous of £144! good savings if i need to wash a few dishes ect i boil the kettle.

We have had solar hot water for almost 2 years now and I would strongly recommend it. For over 6 months a year we have our hot water turned off permanently and with the larger water tank installed, we get by even on grey days. Last summer we switched our central heating hot water on for a total of 3 hrs and its looking like we'll be at the same level this year too. We also run the system at 70 degrees rather than 60 to help offset grey days - you just have to be careful that kids don't scald themselves with the hot taps.

My last quarters gas bill (May-Jul) was £23 as we have a gas hob for cooking.

It is very self satisfying to know you are helping with the environment and I would strongly recommend it.

The thing about solar hot water is that you need a double coil hot water tank. The standard tank has a single coil which your central heating system runs through. A double coil allows solar water heater to pass through the second coil. If you are getting a new central heating system installed or require a new hot water cylinder then request a double coil tank. They are pretty much standard now and shouldn't cost any more than a single coil tank. You can even get tripple coil tanks for combining central heating, solar heating and a back (solid fuel) boiler.
There are plenty of DIY alternative energy sites, here are a few I found useful;http://www.bigginhill.co.uk/energy.htmhttp://www.reuk.co.ukhttp://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk
this is a swiss supplier of solar water heaters thats seems good value but I haven't used them or know anyone who has.http://www.solarenergy.ch/spf.php?lang=en&fam=41&tab=1

Apparently vacuum tube solar water heats although more efficient are more expensive and apparently more problematic.

I used to commute from Windsor to Wrexham, and after a year calculated that I had spent £6,000 on petrol! By buying an LPG-converted car and cutting my average speed by 10 mph I reckon I saved around £4,000 per year. Positives include half-price fuel, a longer engine life, lower particulates, sometimes shorter queues at the garage, no Congestion Charge for registered vehicles and no exposure to tanker driver strikes. Negatives include a longer fill-up time, fewer filling stations, and a tendency of some thoughtless folk to park in front of the LPG pump when getting their weekly shop at the garage.

I converted my MG to LPG about 18 months ago. So far, its been brilliant. Current price is about 46.9p litre, I get about 330 - 350 miles for £20. I bought a map for every LPG garage in the country, but you usually find them fairly easily anyway. I have not had any negative findings with LPG.

I have Solar PV panels which generate about 1/3 of my electricity (see my other post "First year solar PV payback"). Although some people debate the savings with them, I believe them to have a long term financial saving.

I am happy with both LPG and Solar PV, and will do more "alternatives" in the near future - probably to get rid of heating / hot water bills, though undecided which method yet.

I converted my MG to LPG about 18 months ago. So far, its been brilliant. Current price is about 46.9p litre, I get about 330 - 350 miles for £20. I bought a map for every LPG garage in the country, but you usually find them fairly easily anyway. I have not had any negative findings with LPG.

The thing about solar hot water is that you need a double coil hot water tank. The standard tank has a single coil which your central heating system runs through. A double coil allows solar water heater to pass through the second coil. If you are getting a new central heating system installed or require a new hot water cylinder then request a double coil tank. They are pretty much standard now and shouldn't cost any more than a single coil tank. You can even get tripple coil tanks for combining central heating, solar heating and a back (solid fuel) boiler.

I purchased a 1988 S Class Merc, i.e. top of the range at the time (could do the same with BMW or Audi but go for one of the bullet proof luxury cars that have had money spent on them over their life) with a long service for a little over £1,000 first service and replacement of ALL worn parts £1,000 (brakes timing chains, all oil and filters), conversion to LPG £1,200. Now i am motoring in a very comfortable car that cost wise runs at £0.12p per mile for £3,200. So recycling, boosting local economy, good for environment, very comfortable and safe.

So far we've cut out the oil central heating and rely on point of use electric heaters plus a lot of woolies/fleeces! Our main heating comes from a 20Kw wood stove, without back boiler. We could have fitted the back boiler but decided not to due to the back boiler taking 12Kw off the fire and we need more than 8Kw to heat the area it's in. We have ditched the electric cooker and now only use the wood fired range. If we want toast or a cup of tea before the fire's kicked in [it takes about an hour] then we use the "normal" electric kettle [which we always fill once and then store the remaining hot water in a Thermos flask for later - instant coffee's ok without bringing back up to the boil], the toaster or even one of those glass ovens [worth every penny!]. The slowcooker has barely ever been out of the cupboard recently Our domestic hot water is taken care of by three point of use instantaneous heaters, one gas and two electric.

Our electricity bills have plummetted and the stoves are fed to the constant refrain of, "Never waste a calorie" as the next bit of scrap wood/paper etc goes on, in addition to any wood we buy in.

Our windows are doubleglazed but as we are decorating the house we shall be replacing the glass with the current e-glass glazing units. Curtains make a huge difference over both windows and doors.

If you see me on here - shout at me to get off and go and get something useful done!!

I don't have any experience or knowledge but it seems perfectly feasible. The only problem is that you loose the electric element, which is ok but in the event that you are unable to use your boiler (more common than you think most boilers break down in winter) and its a dark day you'll have no hot water.
The sealing around the element aperture would need to be good as well, if the tank is old you could damage the opening and find you are not able to make an adequate seal. Corrosion on the tanks is more common on old ones retrofitted with lagging jackets than ones which are preinsualted.

A few years ago we installed a home-made solar hot water system based on a design from the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT.org.uk) in Wales:

It cost us about £600 including the dual coil tank, low voltage pump with battery and solar charger, and clip-on fins from CAT.

Due to restrictions in size, we have slightly less than 2 square metres of panels, but it provides plenty of hot water on sunny days and needs only a slight top-up on grey days. It can even raise the tank temperature by 30degC in Winter on a sunny day.

We have recently had a Solar PV system fitted which is rated at 1.62kW (PhotoEnergy.co.uk). This cost just under £6000 after the £2500 grant. We sell the excess energy back to EON (fixed rate based on capacity and house size) for £46/year. It's very satisfying to see the consumer meter running backwards when the sun comes out. We also claim ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificates) from OFGEM which are worth about £35 each and we expect to get 3 per year. The new rates for solar energy production coming in next year will be worth about 35p for every unit generated, whether we use it or export it, so that should work out at about £500.

Initially, the pay-back time seemed very long, but with these new initiatives and rising fuel prices, it is now probably approaching ten years.

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